Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, announced on Sunday his intention to sign a new state law granting authority to every police officer in Texas to arrest immigrants who have entered the state illegally from another country.

Abbott emphasized the state’s commitment to preventing illegal entry, stating that he would sign the legislation, known as SB4, in two weeks.

The bill enables local police to engage in immigration enforcement, making it a state misdemeanor to unlawfully cross the Texas-Mexico border.

[This will get challenged in federal court, and may not hold up due to the supremacy clause. It’s worth hashing out, though, and it will set a new disincentive to illegal immigration — at least through Texas. — Ed]